<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>New Beginnings by storywriter55</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29806464">New Beginnings</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/storywriter55/pseuds/storywriter55'>storywriter55</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Milestones [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>White Collar (TV 2009)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>First Day of School, Gen, New Beginnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 18:13:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,363</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29806464</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/storywriter55/pseuds/storywriter55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Hope's first day of school and Sara has a surprise for Neal. Part of the 'Milestones' series (4.5 years)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Neal Caffrey/Sara Ellis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Milestones [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/80614</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>New Beginnings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>‘Let’s go kiddo! The school bus will be here in ten minutes’ Sara called out as she stood in front of the bathroom mirror, putting the final touches on her makeup.</p>
<p>Neal’s halting voice was heard coming from their bedroom across the hall. ‘Babe, have you seen my briefcase?’</p>
<p>‘I thought I saw it in the family room’ she replied, stepping out into the hallway and making her way downstairs where things were eerily quiet.</p>
<p>‘Hope!’ she called out. ‘What are you doing —’</p>
<p>She stopped suddenly, realizing her four-and-half-year-old daughter was nowhere to be found. The first day of school had been the only subject of conversation for the past few weeks and she’d half expected to find her camped out by the front door, waiting eagerly for them to be ready to leave.</p>
<p>She turned, catching sight of Neal as he came down the stairs, perfectly coiffed but with his tie slightly askew.</p>
<p>They gravitated towards each other, her hand instantly on his necktie, straightening it as he fidgeted.</p>
<p>‘What time is Peter expecting you?’</p>
<p>‘Not until ten’ he said, chin raised as Sara finished fiddling with his tie.</p>
<p>‘So, what’s this case he’s calling you in for?'</p>
<p>‘Haven’t a clue’ Neal admitted as he stepped away and began searching around for his briefcase. ‘He just said he had a case that was right up my alley and I should come in for this morning’s staff meeting.’</p>
<p>Sara nodded. She was glad her husband had something on which to focus his attention now that Hope was going to be in school most of the day.</p>
<p>Neal reappeared, carrying his briefcase and looking mighty fine in a dark blue suit and striped shirt. Except for a few cases he’d worked on with Peter and his team, Neal’s job had consisted mostly of being a stay-at-home dad since their daughter’s birth. It had been a while since Sara had seen him all decked out and she smiled appreciatively as he came into view.</p>
<p>‘Where’s Hope?’ he asked, looking around.</p>
<p>‘I think she’s still in her room’ Sara said as she leaned over the bannister. ‘Hope, what are you doing up there?’</p>
<p>Neal frowned. ‘I don’t get it. She was so excited about today’ he commented as Sara opened her mouth to call her again. He lay his hand on her arm.</p>
<p>‘I’ll get her’ he murmured as he sprinted up the stairs.</p>
<p>The first day of school was a definite milestone in a kid’s life and Hope Ellis-Caffrey had been looking forward to this day for weeks. She and her best friend Olivia had spent the last week comparing notes on what they’d be wearing, arguing about who had the prettiest pencil case and squabbling about who would get the window seat on the bus to school.</p>
<p>Neal and Sara had spent the weekend lugging their daughter from store to store, preparing for the big day, purchasing all the school supplies she would need to be a fully functioning kindergartener. Leaving the safety of home was a huge step and Neal had been as apprehensive about the prospect as his daughter had been excited. She was leaving the nest, opening up her world to the influence of her teachers and her peers and for an overprotective dad like Neal Caffrey, that was a very scary proposition.</p>
<p>Hope’s foray into the big bad world also heralded big changes for Neal who was now faced with making important decisions about his own future. Being a stay-at-home dad had been the perfect fit for their family while Hope was little. Sara was only too happy to act as provider, working away as a badass insurance investigator, a job she loved. Neal’s job had been to keep things running smoothly on the home front, seeing to meals, shopping, laundry and most importantly, child care — all those mundane yet necessary tasks to keep everyone on an even keel.</p>
<p>Thankfully, it hadn’t been all work and no play. Neal had been spending much of his free time painting in his at-home studio, amassing treasures for an upcoming showing at a local gallery when he wasn’t out helping Peter and his team at the Bureau. His skills as an art authenticator had also been in demand and he’d done some work for a couple of insurance companies, among them Sterling Bosch, something he was enjoying more and more.</p>
<p>But with Hope at school all day, he could no longer put off the inevitable. The time had come to decide on how he’d occupy his time, something he’d been apprehensive about for a while now. Not that he didn’t have options. Peter had made it clear Neal always had a place within the White Collar Unit as a consultant if he chose to go that route. He’d even hinted at the possibility of Neal attending the academy and joining the ranks of the FBI as a full-fledged agent someday. But Neal had resisted. As much as he enjoyed his adventures with the Bureau, one thing was clear: that was not the life he aspired to.</p>
<p>But now, he’d have to buckle down and stop dithering, decide what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. And that… well that was a scary thought.</p>
<p>He knocked softly on Hope’s bedroom door before peeking inside, finding her sitting on the bed holding a framed photograph in her hand.</p>
<p>‘Hey sweet pea, what’s going on?’ he asked, taking a seat next to her.</p>
<p>She looked up, her bright blue eyes staring up at him, a mirror of his own.</p>
<p>‘You like that picture, huh?’ he said as he spied the photograph she usually kept on her bedside table.</p>
<p>She nodded, her eyes returning to the picture of the three of them in the back yard at Peter and Elizabeth's, taken a few months earlier. It had been a beautiful spring day and Peter had been barbecuing the obligatory hot dogs and burgs while the rest of the group had played Twister. Elizabeth had pulled away and snapped a shot of the three of them as they teetering dangerously and laughed irrepressibly.</p>
<p>‘School bus will be here any minute’ he reminded her.</p>
<p>He could see apprehension in her eyes. ‘Daddy, I really <em>want</em> to go to school' she said quietly.</p>
<p>'I know you do’ he said patiently. ‘So, how come you’re sitting here instead of waiting by the front door?’</p>
<p>She shrugged. ‘What if.. what if I miss you while I'm at school?' she asked, her voice shaky.</p>
<p>Neal was surprised by her question. She’d been thrilled to bits at the prospect of meeting new friends and wearing the new outfit they’d bought for her to wear. Apparently, now that reality was staring her in the face, it seemed a little more daunting than she’d first imagined. He ran his hand over her perfectly braided hair.</p>
<p>‘Well…’ he began, thinking fast. ‘Maybe you could bring along something that reminds you of me and Mommy.’</p>
<p>‘Like what?’ she asked, suddenly interested in what her dad had to say.</p>
<p>‘Oh, I don't know… maybe one of Mommy’s scarves and what about one of my special writing pens, you know the ones I use when I sketch.’</p>
<p>Hope’s face brightened at the thought. ‘And can I take our picture in my school bag?’</p>
<p>Neal smiled. ‘Of course you can’ he said as he took the photograph from her hands and began removing it from its frame.</p>
<p>‘Why don't you put your shoes on?’ he said as she nodded and reached for the brand new shoes.</p>
<p>Sara watched from the bedroom door, feeling her heart swell. Her baby was going off on a new adventure and she and Neal would no longer be the sole influences in her life.</p>
<p>Once packed up and ready to go, the Caffrey family walked two houses over to where Hope would be boarding the big yellow school bus. Olivia Mason stood waiting with her parents nearby. Hope ran towards her best friend and the girls hugged and began hopping around like a couple of kangaroos while their parents observed from the sidelines.</p>
<p>‘Big day today’ Donna Mason said as the bus slowly pulled up.</p>
<p>Neal swept his daughter into his arms, intent on giving her a proper hug.</p>
<p>‘Have fun, and remember, I'll be there to pick you up later and you can tell me all about your first day' he said, grinning widely.</p>
<p>Hope kissed his cheek and squirmed to get out of his arms.</p>
<p>'Bye, sweetie’ Sara said, placing a kiss on her daughter’s forehead. 'I love you!’</p>
<p>‘Bye, Mommy' Hope said, itching to slip away from their grasp.</p>
<p>The girls clasped hands and headed for the big yellow bus while their parents watched. Their short four-year-old legs struggled to climb up onto the first step and Neal fought with himself to keep from grabbing Hope and whisking her away, back to the safety of home.</p>
<p>Sara’s hand slipped in his and Neal heard her sigh as they watched Hope settle in a seat by the window. A small wave and she was on her way, ready to start her new life. They returned home in silence, climbing into the car and pulling out into the quiet street. They had one more thing to do before they headed out to the train which would take them to their jobs in Manhattan.</p>
<p>Neal kept his distance as he followed the school bus, slowing with each stop so they wouldn’t be spotted. Once at school, they parked discreetly out of view and watched as the children got off the bus one by one. They finally spotted Hope stepping off, holding Olivia's hand as the teacher greeted them both and herded them toward her group of kindergarteners.</p>
<p>Sara let out a loud sigh and Neal’s hand was instantly on hers.</p>
<p>‘I just can't believe it’ he said wistfully. ‘Time goes so fast. We don't have a baby anymore.’</p>
<p>Sara wiped a tear and glanced up at him. ‘I don't know about that…’ she said mysteriously as Neal put the car in motion.</p>
<p>‘Why don’t we skip the train today’ he suggested. ‘I can drive us into Manhattan and that way, I get to hold your hand all the way there’ he said, always the romantic.</p>
<p>‘I’d like that…’ Sara murmured. ‘But first, we have to make a pit stop.’</p>
<p>Neal checked his watch. ‘What are you talking about?’</p>
<p>Sara hesitated then gave him a playful smile. ‘I need to stop at the drugstore.’</p>
<p>‘The drugstore?’ he repeated with a frown. ‘Why do you need to stop at the drugstore?’</p>
<p>Sara’s voice hitched as she spoke. ‘I need to pick up a pregnancy test.’</p>
<p>‘What?’ Neal said, louder than he’d meant to.</p>
<p>The car wavered as he looked at her, eyes bright with excitement. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’</p>
<p>‘Because every time I'm an hour late with my period, you get all excited and then… I have to talk you down. I thought I'd give it a couple of days this time.’</p>
<p>It was a testament to how busy life had been the last few days that Neal hadn’t been on her case at it was. After almost three years of monitoring her cycle like a hawk, he’d completely lost track of time.</p>
<p>‘I can’t believe I forgot to ask…’</p>
<p>‘Honey, it’s been crazy the last few days getting Hope ready for school, doing all that running around.’</p>
<p>‘So…’ Neal said as he did some mental math. ‘You’re like… four days late?’</p>
<p>She nodded as he pulled into the strip mall, stopping the car right in front of their neighbourhood Walgreens.</p>
<p>‘Wipe that smile off your face Caffrey. We’re not celebrating yet’ she said as she stepped out of the car.</p>
<p>‘Get two!’ he called out after her as she waved him off. ‘Just in case.’</p>
<p>This was exactly why she hadn’t said anything to him before now. The road to a second pregnancy had been painfully long and tortuous with many false starts and endless dashed hopes. Contrary to Hope who had been conceived quite by accident, a second pregnancy had been a long shot considering the fallout from Sara’s year long battle with ovarian cancer.</p>
<p>Neal watched as his wife stepped into the drugstore, the goofy smile lingering on his lips. He flashed back to the months of Sara's first pregnancy, back when they were still figuring things out between them. So much had happened since then, having Hope, getting married, finishing up his time with the FBI, buying the house…</p>
<p>Yet, some things hadn’t changed; Mozzie still barged in without an invitation and raided their wine cabinet but Neal no longer felt that restlessness that had haunted him for years. He settled back, his heart thumping wildly as he tracked his wife’s movements through the store’s plate glass window.</p>
<p>Finally, she stepped out into the sunlight and Neal watched her make her way to the car, overcome with excitement at the prospect of having another baby. </p>
<p>‘So? All set?’ he asked with a twinkle in his eye.</p>
<p>She held up the bag and shook it. ‘Yup.’</p>
<p>‘You <em>do</em> know we’re going straight back home, right?’ Neal added.</p>
<p>‘I figured you’d be kidnapping me once you found out. Luckily, I don't have anything on at the office until this afternoon’ she said.</p>
<p>‘What about Peter?’</p>
<p>Neal beamed at her. ‘He can wait’ he said without hesitation.</p>
<p>WCWCWC</p>
<p>Neal sat on the edge of the tub and Sara on the toilet as the timer ticked away the obligatory three minutes. They made small talk about the upcoming weekend and the cases awaiting Sara back at her office but neither one of them could keep their minds on what they were discussing.</p>
<p>After all those months and years of yearning, could their cherished dream of giving Hope a sibling finally be coming true?</p>
<p>Neal could feel his breathing growing shallow, his heart thumping in his chest as the timer wound down, finally letting out its telltale ding.</p>
<p>Sara reached for the pee stick, her hands shaking. She motioned Neal closer as she brought the stick up for both of them to see.</p>
<p>La fin</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>